The Oyo State Government has strongly defended its decision to revoke certain parcels of land earlier allocated to federal establishments, insisting that the actions were lawful, necessary, and taken in the interest of public safety and development.
This reaction followed a publication by the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in The Nigerian Tribune of Wednesday, October 22, which issued a “notice of caution” to the public concerning certain federal properties and projects across six states, including Oyo.
Addressing journalists at a press conference held at the state Ministry’s Conference Room in Ibadan on Thursday, the Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Akin-Funmilayo William, said although Oyo was not directly accused in the publication, the content was misleading enough to warrant a formal clarification from the state.
“The publication gave a general impression that the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development still retains valid rights over some lands in Oyo, which is entirely false. We are the administrators of land in this state, and as such, we owe it to the public to state our position and correct any misinformation,” the commissioner said.
He explained that six specific federal allocations were listed in the publication, and the state government would address each one for clarity.
According to Mr. William, the first case involved the Africa Regional Centre for Engineering Design and Manufacturing (ARCEDEM), a federal establishment located at Olodo, Ibadan. He said the land was originally granted to the centre in January 1983, with a Certificate of Occupancy duly issued by the Oyo State Government.
“Let’s be clear: ARCEDEM is a tenant of Oyo State. The certificate issued to them explicitly states that they are to pay a nominal rent of 10 kobo per year. The state is the lessor; they are the lessee,” he explained.
However, the commissioner said ARCEDEM stopped operations and abandoned the site for nearly two decades, during which it became overrun by weeds and miscreants.
“We started getting complaints from the host community, especially from the Oludo of Oludo, who wrote a petition in May 2020 about how the abandoned facility had become a hideout for criminals and a threat to lives,” he recalled.
Following the report, the state government wrote officially to the supervising Federal Ministry of Industry to demand action, but nothing was done. Consequently, the Oyo State Government issued a notice of intent to revoke the land in September 2020 and, after due process, finalized the revocation in October of that year.
“The revocation was published in The Tribune on October 5, 2020, and was duly gazetted. The land has since been put to better use in the interest of the people of Oyo State,” William said.
He expressed shock that the Federal Ministry of Housing would still lay claim to the property after five years, calling it “a great embarrassment.”
“They have no legal or moral right over that land anymore. It no longer belongs to ARCEDEM. It has been reallocated and is now serving the public good,” he stated firmly.
The commissioner confirmed that the low-cost housing estate and site services built by the federal government in Ibadan were still intact and serving their intended purpose.
“That particular project is being used as it should be, and the state appreciates the federal government for maintaining it,” he noted.
The third issue according to William, involved the federal housing scheme in Saki, which sits on 90.6 hectares of land. Mr. William explained that only a small portion of the land had been developed since it was allocated during the Shagari administration in the early 1980s.
“Most of that land is still lying fallow, undeveloped for over forty years. If the federal authorities are not ready to put it to use, the state will have to take it over. We cannot allow a large portion of land to remain a jungle,” he said.
He added that the matter also had security implications, given Saki’s proximity to Kwara State.
“We all know the current security challenges in parts of Kwara. We won’t encourage creating a haven for criminals who can easily cross over into Oyo,” he warned.
William also addressed the status of the National Strategic Grain Reserve at Ilero, for which ten hectares of land were allocated in 2001. He explained that the federal agency only utilized a fraction of the land for storage and silos, while the larger portion remained abandoned.
“We can’t have undeveloped forests in the middle of Ibadan. Out of the ten hectares given to them, they only fenced and used a small section. The remaining part has become overgrown and unsafe,” he said.
“So, we took back the unused portion. Let me emphasize: they are tenants of Oyo State, and we are their landlord. The part they are using for grain storage has not been touched, but the rest has been reclaimed and is being redeveloped,” he clarified.
On the matter of the land occupied by Radio Nigeria beside BCOS, Ibadan, the commissioner traced its history back to the old Western Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (WNBC/WNTV).
He said the radio station had been temporarily accommodated there before being allocated a permanent site at Moniya, which it currently occupies.
“They were told to move to their permanent site as far back as 2014 during the administration of late Governor Abiola Ajimobi. They refused and went to court, but the case was dismissed,” he explained.
He revealed further that the old site had been converted for other uses unrelated to broadcasting.
“That land now hosts nightclubs, churches, and other private activities. The purpose for which it was originally given—broadcasting—has long been defeated,” he said.
According to him, the state reclaimed the land and would put it to better use, since the corporation had already moved its equipment and operations to Moniya.
Speaking on the National Horticultural Research Institute (NIHORT) Land located at Alalubosa, the commissioner also reacted to claims that the federal government owned portions of the Alalubosa GRA and surrounding lands, dismissing such claims as untrue.
“That land used to be Alalubosa Forest Reserve, owned by Oyo state. From that same land, the state allocated sites for the DSS, the National Museum, the Alalubosa Market, and the GRA,” he said.
He recalled that in 2013 or 2014, about four acres bordering the state’s land were released to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, which likely led to the confusion.
“If officials sitting in Abuja think they know Ibadan lands more than we do here, that’s a strange thing indeed,” he said, adding, “The Federal Ministry of Housing has no authority over land anywhere in this country. By law, land in every state is vested in the governor.”
Mr. William went further to criticize what he described as the “excesses and arrogance” of some federal ministries and agencies operating in Oyo.
“It seems some of them have taken this federal might mentality too far. Most of their actions are no longer in tandem with the vision of the state government,” he said.
He cited the Federal Secretariat in Ikolaba, Ibadan, as a striking example saying: “That Secretariat was meant to be a one-stop administrative complex for federal MDAs. Today, it’s been turned into a residential estate. Go there and you’ll see over fifty houses built illegally. People are cooking and selling food inside a government secretariat. It’s shameful,” he lamented.
He added that none of the structures had building approval from the state, despite the fact that “urban planning and physical regulation fall strictly under the state government’s jurisdiction.”
The commissioner also pointed to the Nigerian Railway Corporation’s land at Dugbe, where he alleged that commercial buildings had been constructed less than ten meters from the rail tracks.
“The railway corporation was set up to provide rail services, not to build shopping complexes. These structures are dangerous. When trains start moving again, vibrations can travel up to forty meters. How safe are those buildings?” he asked.
“All these constructions are illegal. They were done without state approval, and we have already started marking some for enforcement,” he added.
Mr. William disclosed that the state currently has a pending court case against several federal agencies accused of illegally selling more than one hundred government quarters belonging to Oyo State.
“Whenever federal agencies come into the state, we give them temporary accommodation in government quarters pending when they build their own. But many of them ended up selling those quarters without authorization. That case is still in court,” he said.
He revealed that one federal agency alone currently occupies five government quarters belonging to Oyo State.
“This handshake has gone beyond the shoulder. Either we step back, or we resist it. And I can assure you, we’ll resist it,” he declared.
The commissioner reaffirmed that Oyo State’s actions were within the confines of the law and in the best interest of the public.
“There cannot be two drivers in one bus. The land belongs to the people of Oyo State, held in trust by the governor. Federal agencies, irrespective of their status, are tenants here. When they abandon land or misuse it, the state has a duty to act,” he said.
He urged the public to disregard the Federal Ministry’s publication and reassured investors that Oyo State would continue to uphold transparency, legality, and responsible land administration.
“The era of impunity is over. Oyo will protect its resources, ensure
safety, and put every inch of land to the best possible use for its people,” he concluded.
